Sea of Salvation
by Stelmaria
Summary: The essence of Kronos latches onto a fragment of Voldemort's soul languishing in the pit of Tartarus, using his power to gain a foothold in the newly resurrected body. At Dumbledore's request Chiron sends his greatest hero to help keep Harry safe. Slash
1. Foretelling

Hello everyone! Wow, been forever since I wrote anything. But I was bored, and obsessed with Percy J, so this just kinda popped out. Disclaimer: I don't claim to own either the Percy Jackson series or Harry Potter, and I gain no profit from either. With fair warning, this is slash, don't like don't read. Also, this occurs after The Last Olympian and The Order of the Phoenix, because I didn't like how the last two HP books ended the series. Spoilers for PJATO and anything in HP book 5 and earlier. Additionally, I am a lazy ass author so I make no promises about the completion of this or regular updates, I write only when I am inspired to do so, for my own pleasure. That said, I've seen all different kinds of the "Dumbledore sends "_insert character here_" to bodyguard Harry fanfic, so without further ado, the PJATO version! Hope you enjoy.

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_"A descendant of Hecate_

_Struggles in vain_

_Against an undying foe_

_Salvation rests_

_In the arms of the sea_

_His love will sustain_

_The fatal blow"_

Shocked silence hung over the Great hall as the last of her words died away. Professor Trelawney looked about her in confusion wondering why she had suddenly acquired such a nasty headache.

"Sibyll my dear girl, are you quite alright?" Questioned Albus who was sitting on her left.

"I'm fine, Albus!" She reassured. "Though I'm a bit confused, I must have lost myself in thought. What were we just talking about?" Dumbledore blinked down in astonishment at the huge watery eyes that were always magnified by large outdated glasses.

"Don't concern yourself my girl. It was nothing of consequence. I must be getting forgetful in my old age!"

He chuckled softly at her concern. Around him the quiet dinner conversation had exploded with speculation. He glanced over the concerned professors sitting beside him at the head table and swept a gaze over the students below. One pair of emerald green eyes stared back at him from the Gryffindor table. All color had drained from the student's face as soon as Trelawney began to speak. But the pale skin only served to make his unique eyes stand out more, mused Dumbledore, while absently stroking his beard. He pondered his next move as he sighed regretfully down at his favorite pupil. Really, he loved Harry like a son, which made all the hardships the boy had suffered that much harder for him to bear. And now it seemed as if even more was in store for the unfortunate young lad.

"Severus, would you fetch me a crystal ball please, and meet me in my office? It seems we will be sending yet another prophecy to the Department of Mysteries. If reality is going to unfold into the dire circumstances that have just been predicted, we are going to need some outside assistance."

With that said, he stood to prepare himself for a journey to the Forbidden forest. He had some Centaurs to consult with. Emerald eyes continued to wearily follow he and Severus from the room, as they rushed out to complete their appointed tasks.

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Please, review if you like it. Soon to be continued. The is just a prologue of sorts, next chapter will be longer.


	2. Of dreams, past and present

Hey all! Here's the next installment for you.

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_A few years ago…_

Aeacus looked down upon the creature in disgust.

"What is that _thing?_" He asked, conveying his displeasure. His tone got the attention of the other two men who were sat beside him.

"Whatever it once was, it isn't human anymore." Replied Minos scornfully.

Rhadamanthus squinted down at it, wrinkling his nose in thought.

"The soul isn't complete. It's just a fragment." He decided. The sight of it made him shudder. Perhaps at one time it had been a man, but now it was pale and shrunken, every inch of it covered in blood. It lay naked, huddled before them, shaking and twitching, moaning in pain. Aeacus jerked away in horror.

"Someone hacked away a piece of their soul?" He choked out. "Who would _do_ such a thing?"

"It doesn't matter. If a soul is not complete, we cannot pass judgment upon it. Send it to the pit." Minos stated dismissively and waved his hand at two nearby ghouls. They lumbered over and grabbed the pitiful creature, dragging it off behind them. The three judges of the dead stared after them, contemplating the odd occurrence. But it was soon forgotten, disappearing into the masses of the dead, waiting in line for judgment.

The three ghostly kings went back to work.

_Kronos howled in fury. He had been close, _so close_ to achieving his dream. No, that wasn't right; it wasn't a dream, it was an ambition. And it had been all but reality. There he had stood, amidst the source of their godly power, the thrones of Mt. Olympus. His scythe was in hand, all he had to do was strike down their seat of power, and he would have been rid of his contemptible children and their spawn forever. But no, like a fool he had stood and gloated, unable to resist prolonging his enjoyment after so many years of torment._

_Than _he_ had come._

_Perseus._

_The very name of that wretched sea spawn made him tremble with rage. The thought of a mortal bug such as he getting the better of him in any form was shameful, a disgrace to the title of Titan. It had been his fault! The hero had matched him, blow for blow. A feat none before him could accomplish. And all the while he had whispered in his ear, planted thoughts that took root in the mind of his host, into the brain of that scared and angry, pathetic little child called Luke. It had been enough, just enough for the boy to stop him. And now he was trapped here, back in the pits of Tartarus. He didn't even have his body anymore. One day that scrap of kelp would kneel before him, bowing to the true gods, begging for mercy. But he would not grant it. No, both he and his father had earned the eternal wrath of Kronos, never to secure a reprieve._

_Kronos screamed in anger and pain, scrabbling feebly along the ground. He wasn't sure how long he had been here trapped in this form. He existed in a sort of cloud, his body pulverized into millions of tiny pieces, like dust, and every part of him cried out in agony. Here and there he had picked up bits of rocks and debris from the dirt, so his body acquired some definition, but it was obscured and distorted at best. The endless torment made every moment stretch into eons. The gods were cruel. Even the Lord of Time could not bear it._

_Slowly he was being driven to insanity._

_That was when he came upon the creature._

_What have we here? He murmured in interest, observing the figure hunched before him. Someone had been desperate, he mused, noting the jagged edges on the ripped fragment of soul. For only the depths of despair and depravity could have driven a soul to desecrate itself in such a manner. But that is not what Kronos found most interesting. For the soul was still connected to its other half. There before him, clear as day, lead a tiny string of energy from the body of the fragment up and out into the faint glow of the underworld above him. Like Ariadne's string it provided a path for him to follow, a way to escape from the depths of the pit._

_Chuckling with glee he quickly took possession of the fragmented soul, his essence seeping through the body as he seized control. Then, hand over hand, he grabbed a hold of the thread of energy and began to pull himself out._

_He would be free once more._

With a startled gasp Percy sprang from his bed, muscles tense and ready for action.

What had he just seen?

A half-blood's dream was never simply a dream, what he had witnessed had been _real. _He slumped to the floor gulping down giant breaths of air. But what did it mean? Had it happened so soon? Surely the titan king could not have managed to slip his binds so easily. It had only been a year since he and his closest friends had risked everything in order to defeat Kronos and save his Olympian family, along with the rest of western civilization.

He would have to contact Chiron immediately, to let him know about his latest vision. Letting out a short huff in frustration, Percy ran his hands through his messy dark hair and sank down the rest of the way to the floor of his family's Manhattan apartment. He didn't want it to be true. Maybe it had been just a dream. But since when had he ever been that lucky? He let his fingers reflexively trace along the outline of a pen resting on the nightstand beside him. Whatever it meant, it could wait until morning. He had school tomorrow. It was _way_ too early for this type of disturbance. Perhaps he would get lucky after all and someone else would have to deal with it this time…

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There it is, the beginning of a plot. Next chapter will have Harry, I promise. See ya later!


	3. Moirai

Moirai - The Fates

Also, I know enough about astronomy to understand what I wrote doesn't work. (I don't think you can see Neptune with the naked eye.) Whatever. And FYI, Dumbledore still has both his arms, pink and healthy. Plus the ring. Nyah!

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Fate was out to destroy him.

Harry felt quite certain of this as his shuffled along under his invisibility cloak, trying to remain silent while simultaneously avoid tripping over Ron's gangly limbs. He didn't like prophecies. And he especially didn't like grandfatherly old men who tried to hide important things from him, even if they were terrifying, and it was for his own good. He scowled as they stumbled down the hallway, certain Snape would appear around the next corner and order him to detention for the rest of the year. Considering it was still the first week of classes, it might be a new record.

The halls were dark and silent, it was well past curfew and not a soul dared wander lest they face the wrath of Filch and Mrs. Norris. But Harry was curious, and determined to find out all he could about the most recent prophecy proclaimed over supper earlier that evening. He squinted at the Marauder's Map trying to make out names through the gloom.

"Did you find them?" Ron hissed in his ear.

"Hall courtyard, by the fountain" Harry replied, trying to ignore the annoying sensation of Ron breathing down his neck.

He leaned away as much as he could and began leading them in the other direction.

Hermione had the right of it this time, Harry thought, as he once again regretted his rash decision to sneak out. Having learned of his plan, which had been concocted shortly after they returned from dinner, she simply gave him a long look and shook her head.

"Ron! You're a prefect!"

Subsequently she declared Harry an impulsive idiot. (Personally, Harry thought that being a prefect had gone to her head a little, and given her a particular fondness for the rules that was even worse than before, even after a whole year.)

After how much Ron had grown during the summer, the three of them didn't really fit together under his cloak anymore, and after the incident with Draco in Diagon Ally he wasn't eager to try again. But besides that, Hermione decided Dumbledore would tell them when they needed to know, after all he had finally trusted Harry with the first prophecy. She went on into detail about his 'hero complex' and hadn't he learned anything since last year? Harry supposed this meant he hadn't.

He felt a momentary stab of guilt mixed with misery and sorrow as he remembered his godfather, and how his actions the previous school year were partially responsible for Sirius' death. He still hadn't forgiven himself for that, or Dumbledore. After some difficulty he eventually managed to push through those feelings, and taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, continued inching along.

They were out to spy on Dumbledore.

To find out what he knew about the next prophecy. And, hopefully, what he was going to do about it, if Harry was involved. He was still angry at the headmaster for keeping the first prophecy a secret for so long. In a way, he could understand why Dumbledore had done it. He himself had kept the truth from the remaining two members of the golden trio until late this summer for similar reasons. Eventually, he forgave the old professor. Whatever else was between them, he could never manage to stay mad at the closest person he now had to a father figure for long. But somewhere in the back of his mind a tiny voice still whispered that perhaps if he had known about the prophecy beforehand, the information might have somehow been used to save Sirius' life.

Harry didn't really believe that was true. But the lingering doubts had driven him here, to find out as much about this new prophecy as he possibly could. Ron had decided to accompany him on principle, because Hermione said it was foolish. Ostensibly, his status as a prefect could provide some cover in the event they happened to be discovered.

Finally, Harry recognized the archway leading out to the courtyard near the entrance of the great hall and began to pass through with Ron waddling rather awkwardly behind him.

Suddenly something quite sharp was jammed beneath his chin.

"Don't move mouth-breathers." A fierce voice warned from the shadows.

Harry froze halfway between reaching for his wand. Ron managed an undignified yelp and stumbled in surprise. Their assailant chuckled lightly.

"I can sense you there as clearly as the summer sun. Reveal yourselves." But before Harry could make any move to respond, a familiar figure appeared beside him and gently lifted the cloak away from their faces.

"No need for alarm, Professor Firenze. As you can see, it is just a pair of curious students who decided to take a stroll particularly late this evening." Dumbledore's kind blue eyes came to rest on Harry. "Isn't that right, Mr. Potter?"

"Harry Potter?" Firenze called out, startled. The centaur pulled away carefully, as Harry realized the object that had jabbed him was actually the tip of an arrow protruding from the largest bow he had ever seen. He began to feel heat rise in his cheeks at being caught so easily. Harry cleared his throat sheepishly to buy some time as he mustered the courage to speak his mind.

"Professor, I just want to know what's going on!" He cried, gazing imploringly back at Dumbledore. "What do you know about this new prophecy? Have you figured out what it means?" He brought up his hands in frustration. "This time I want you to tell me. I deserve to know…sir!" He stared boldly back at Dumbledore, who had the grace to look surprised, and a little chastised. The headmaster looked back at Firenze as they moved farther into the courtyard. The two seemed to communicate quite a bit in a single glance. He turned back to Harry and smiled fondly.

"Quite right my boy, quite right. The time for hiding things has long passed, and I promised myself I wouldn't keep things from you anymore." His eyes turned sad for a moment before he turned away and quickly recovered. The old man tugged on the end of his beard and cast the boys a wry glance. "In fact, I was expecting you'd show up. And Mr. Weasley decided to come along too, I see." Ron had fallen on his rear beside him, both hands raised in a 'peace' gesture while Firenze's bow was still pointed in his direction.

"Why don't we consider this one of your private lessons, and leave it at that?" Dumbledore replied, as calm and sagely as ever. Firenze seemed to relax at his tone of voice, finally putting away his bow.

"But what are you doing out here?" Ron finally asked. Having found the ability to speak returned to him as the pointy objects disappeared.

"Research" Dumbledore replied evenly. "I find myself just as curious about the prophecy as Harry here. And in these uncertain times, every ounce of knowledge gained is an advantage to be used against our enemies." He added grimly. "Lives could very well be added to the balance."

"The prophecy makes a reference Hecate, an ancient Greek goddess of magic." Firenze stated. "My people still live in accordance with the old ways. We respect the ancient traditions, watching the heavens closely in order to interpret the will of the gods." He explained, nodding once to himself as if this truth reassured him. "In truth this prophecy is not entirely unexpected. The planet Neptune is currently in retrograde through the Perseus constellation. Interesting evens are due to unfold. Your meeting has been foretold in the stars." Dumbledore gave Firenze an odd look.

"A meeting?" He frowned. "I thought you said the future was still uncertain? Are you referring to Harry?" Firenze shot Dumbledore a neutral look.

"It is." Firenze replied. "Nothing is ever certain, just predictable. If you strike a match, there is no certainty it will light. Yet there is no great surprise when a flame is ignited; as I said, predictable."

"So… then, you came out here to look at the stars?" Ron guessed. Dumbledore chuckled. "Not quite, Mr. Weasley, but an admirable assumption." He paused for a moment in thought. Then turned back to Harry and addressed him. "When I heard Hecate mentioned in the prophecy, I went to the centaurs for help. As Firenze stated just now, centaurs are the undisputed experts of ancient forms of magic, and the old ways. They have long memories, and a fierce loyalty to the gods."

"But my brethren knew no more about the prophecy than I." The divination professor spoke. His hooves skittered along the cobblestones on the courtyard floor in agitation. "A descendant of Hecate surely refers to a witch or wizard, someone with strong magic. But the others, an undying foe and the arms of the sea…" Harry swallowed his unease as a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"It couldn't… be referring to-" He cut himself off before he said anymore, looking into Dumbledore's eyes. The man gave him a gentle smile, understanding clear in his expression.

"Voldemort? The thought occurred to me also. Indeed he was once almost killed." Here he nodded to Harry in acknowledgment for his part. "And he returned to life, seemingly undying." His voice acquired a lighter carefree tone. "But he was never really killed, and he is not invulnerable. We both know that Harry." He was reminded yet again of the original prophecy, and swallowed uncomfortably.

"I have my own suspicions. But I suggest we ask my esteemed cousin for some help." Firenze continued. "He is very old, and very wise. The gods look upon him with favor. If anyone knows what is going to happen, it will be him."

"Which is the reason why we are all gathered here beside this fountain!" Dumbledore stated, rubbing his hands together with glee. "We are about to witness some very ancient and rare Greek magic, which I must confess I am most intrigued to observe. Not many wizards have seen this, Harry, Ronald step close."

They all crowded around the fountain, eager to see what would happen next. Firenze took something from a pouch hanging at his side. Harry couldn't quite make out what it was, but it was small and round, and glinted golden beneath the moonlight. A snitch? What use would a centaur have for that?

"Some light, please." Firenze murmured.

"Lumos!" Dumbledore held aloft his wand. Where the light met the trickling water of the fountain, tiny rainbows appeared, shimmering continually. Firenze held out his mystery object, which turned out to be a hexagonal gold coin.

"A drachma, divine currency." He explained at their questioning looks. Then he turned back to the fountain.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, accept my offering." He cried, and tossed his drachma into the water. As it sank to the bottom of the fountain, it shimmered for a moment, then disappeared.

"Show me Chiron Kentavros of New York!" From the fountain thick mist rose from the water, billowing and swirling in mysterious patterns. In the droplets tiny pinpricks of light were refracted, eventually solidifying cohesively into the image of a man, a noble visage with deep brown eyes, hair that brushed the bottom of his ears and a neat brunette beard. He wore a sophisticated button down shirt under a suit. In the distance, they could see the sun setting over a remote forest. The man quietly studied each of them in turn, finally settling his attention on Firenze.

"Ah, one of my kin." He smiled warmly at their closely gathered faces. "My name is Chiron, can I be of service?" Firenze nodded and stepped forward slightly.

"I am Firenze, from the Old Forest in Scotland. It is a great honor to meet you, wise one." He paused a moment, and turned to look at Harry. "There has been a prophecy." Chiron's gaze sharpened.

"We need your help."

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Please, leave a review. PUH-LEAZE!


	4. Questing

This installment: Percy pouts. Yay!

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Percy Jackson sat on the porch in front of Poseidon cabin at Camp Half-Blood, idly picking at a small fossil embedded in the sea coral. Chiron stood a short distance away on the grass of the courtyard, giving him an apologetic glance. Above them the late summer sun shone down warmly on their backs. It would have been a perfect day, if Percy were in the mood to appreciate such things.

It was ridiculous, he thought.

Why did they have to send him off on a quest _now? _School was just starting! And the way things were beginning to shape up, it looked as though he might be gone for a while.

What was he supposed to do? Fail his junior year of high school? (His step-father Paul had assured him that he wouldn't.) If he absolutely had to leave, waive his right to a public education and all that, couldn't they at least send him someplace nice?

But no.

They were sending him to another school.

For _wizards. _Percy snorted.

Apparently, they had some sort of oracle there, not _the_ oracle, but still someone who Apollo had granted enough power to speak a prophecy. Chiron was absolutely convinced he was one of the individuals that it mentioned. So now he had to sit around in a dusty old castle and be the _salvation_ of some poor chump who got roped into fighting (uselessly) against some dude that wasn't going to die anyway. He felt sorry for whoever it was. As a rule, experience had taught him that prophecies generally brought about a lot of pain and suffering.

In his opinion, the entire situation may, or may not, have been orchestrated by Kronos. He huffed out a breath in frustration.

"Why are you sending me so far away?" He growled. "If it really is Kronos then I should be here, near to Mt. Olympus in case he attacks!"

"We don't know anything yet, Percy. The gods are still investigating your claims." The centaur patiently crossed his arms over his chest and spared a glance at the blue sky. "When they've decided to take action, I have a feeling we'll know."

Silently, Percy agreed. That sort of thing tended to bring about giant black thunderheads, lightning and an ominous rumbling across the sky. He scowled.

"That doesn't make me feel any better. I know what I saw. He's trying to get out." Chiron turned back and graced him with another concerned and sympathetic look.

"I know, and I believe you." He answered softly. "The gods are taking this seriously. They're worried, Percy." Chiron sighed and shook his head. "This should never have happened. If Kronos managed to escape yet again, it's the jailers at fault. Some changes are in order."

"Yeah," Percy frowned. Usually he admired and looked up to his father and the other gods (mostly). But he couldn't stand the thought of Kronos getting free once again. Dealing with the titan and his brothers had pounded a soul deep weariness into his body. The sheer devastation they'd wrought made the half-blood shudder.

For a moment he pictured a pale face in his mind, blond hair and blue eyes marred by a jagged scar that crossed an eyebrow and ran down the cheek. Handsome features gaunt with pain as a shiny bronze knife protruded from his side, the life slowly draining from his fiercely glittering eyes.

"It will be different this time." Chiron's voice intruded on his memory. "It he tries to move against the gods. He has no support." The centaur stamped his hoof against the ground and gestured around them.

"The changes you requested have served us well." Percy followed his gaze. There were twice as many cabins now as there had been last year, and several more were still being built.

"There were more campers this summer than we've had in years, despite our casualties after the war." The old stallion continued softly. "And the gods are united. For the first time in a long time, Olympians and minor deities alike are peacefully coexisting together with a common purpose."

"And now they're alerted to his movements. And after everything that happened last time, they won't make the same mistakes twice. So try not to worry too much, Percy." The young man shook his head ruefully.

"You say that now. But it never turns out so easy in the end." The immortal trainer of heroes regarded him for a moment with a tilted head and sighed.

"Better not to dwell on things that have yet to pass." His tone turned light and teasing. "Get back to gathering your things. The sooner you leave, the sooner you may return. As for myself, I believe I'm overdue for the afternoon pinochle match with our esteemed Mr. D. We wouldn't want to make him come out and find me!" Percy managed to raise a chuckle at that, and waved as Chiron cantered off towards the big house.

The camp was nearly deserted. Summer was over and almost all the half-bloods that normally attended were back at home with their families. Percy stood up and stretched before turning around and heading back into his cabin to finish packing. As he walked over to his bags he spotted a blue Yankees cap lying on his bed. A stab of pain jabbed at his heart.

As soon as Annabeth had gotten wind of his quest, she'd sent it to him.

"I have a feeling you'll be needing this more than me, Seaweed Brain."

Things had not worked out so well between them. And for the life of him, Percy could not figure out what went wrong. They were as close a pair of friends as ever, but the romantic involvement between them had inexplicably cooled.

In the beginning, it was amazing. The two of them were closer than ever after the war ended last summer. Annabeth had stayed in New York for the year, to be close to Percy and Mt. Olympus so she could help with the reconstruction as promised. She had spent almost every moment of her free time there, designing buildings with her mother. And _apparently_, Percy thought bitterly, Athena had used some of her unfailing wisdom to convince Annabeth to change her mind about a few things.

He had especially noticed it when Annabeth started giving him these odd assessing little looks. They would be off somewhere together, and he was simply lost in thought, gazing at the people passing through, occasionally watching someone interesting walk by. She would follow his gaze and grin, usually chased by a deviously concocted tease.

"Ooooh, he's cute!" Where upon he'd frown in jealousy and return his attention back to her in annoyance.

Things like that had begun to happen more and more often. Then she had started with the questions.

"Do you like me Percy?" And things like, "Are you happy with me?" He had always made sure to answer that he was. But Annabeth didn't seem convinced. The rest of the school year had passed them by in a strained manner. It all came to a head over the summer, when they wound up spending more of their time together at Camp Half-blood.

They were sitting side by side out in front of Athena cabin, just enjoying a quiet moment together. Percy was gazing absently across the way at Apollo cabin. Annabeth spoke up after a few moments.

"What's so interesting Percy?" He shrugged and replied.

"Nothing." Annabeth sighed.

"You've been staring at Will Solace for the last five minutes." She said flatly. Percy blinked. He supposed he had been.

"Do you think he's handsome, Percy?" She asked him softly. Her voice had acquired a rather odd tone. He raised an eyebrow and glanced back over in consideration, thinking nothing of the question.

"Yes, I suppose he is." He eventually replied. Then she had sniffled a little and grabbed his hands in hers. She pulled their hands into her lap and looked into his eyes, a serious expression on her face.

"Percy, I don't think we should be together anymore." He blinked in astonishment then jumped to his feet with a growing sense of panic.

"Hang on, Annabeth! Why all of a- Did I say something funny? That's not what I-" He backpedaled quickly. "I don't think he's handsome! And he's really annoying!" Annabeth just shook her head and held up a hand.

"That isn't what this is about, Percy." She frowned. "Well it is." She amended. "But not really." She let go of his hands and walked to the railing, looking off into the distance. Percy felt like those few steps had put miles of distance between them.

"Look, Percy. This is hard for me, too!" She cried. "But I just want you to be happy!" She looked back at him, deep into his eyes. He felt like she was reading through his soul.

"To be really truly content, with the one whom you belong. Nothing less." Tears were appearing in the corners of her eyes. Vaguely, he felt them gathering at the edges of his own.

"And I'm not that girl, Percy." He shook his head.

"You are, Annabeth!"

"No." She sounded certain.

"I'm pretty sure that _none_ of the _girls_ here would be right for you, Percy." Then she grinned brightly through her tears.

"But you'll figure it out eventually, even if you're hopeless." She promptly turned and walked away.

That had been the end for them. And though he'd tried more than once, they hadn't gotten back together. When summer ended she moved back out to San Francisco to be with her parents again. Percy clenched the Yankee's cap in his fist and shook his head. Then he let out a breath of air that had become stuck in his chest and tossed her hat in his bag.

The sea lord's son got back to work, hoping to keep his mind off of Annabeth by staying busy. It didn't take long, just a few minutes later and he was ready to leave. He'd already said goodbye to his family back home, so there was nothing left to be done except check in with Chiron before he left. His quest awaited him.

To travel half way across the world to a place he didn't know, filled with strangers that held odd powers and unknown dangers lurking in the shadows. He'd be all alone, since Grover was off in the wild and he didn't want to drag any other half-bloods away from school. Well, not completely, he'd still have his pet dog.

Bring it.

Besides, he had bigger fish to fry. Kronos was waiting, after all.

As he walked across the lawn, dragging all his bags and supplies along behind him, Percy spotted someone standing on the beach. More startled than surprised, Percy dropped his stuff and jogged over. For a moment he thought it was his father, and felt a joyful optimism bubble in his chest. But as he got closer he could see it wasn't so.

It was Hermes.

He hadn't talked to the messenger god since last year on Olympus. He had a feeling the other god had been trying to avoid him, as if the sight of him brought back painful memories. He couldn't blame the guy. And while they had both forgiven each other, their last conversation wasn't exactly friendly.

Hermes met his eyes and nodded in greeting. Percy bowed to him and lowered his head in respect.

"Percy Jackson."

"Lord Hermes."

It was always important to show respect. Especially when, if they decided they didn't like you, they could hit you with a lightning bolt. Or, in this case, an electric cattle prod. They would probably both achieve the same results, mused Percy. As if he could read his thoughts, Hermes grinned.

"I have a message to deliver, from the other gods. We've been meeting to discuss our strategies regarding Kronos. Thanks to your warning, we were able to determine that he has indeed escaped." Percy felt his heart clench.

"We don't believe he's left the underworld yet, but we could be wrong. He laying low and staying hidden." The god gave him concerned glance and rubbed his chin in thought.

"Regardless, stay cautious." He emphasized, his features set in hard lines. "You're currently the only soul in the mortal realm that bears the curse of Achilles. If Kronos wants to possess a body long enough to consolidate his power, he'll be heading straight for _you." _Percy swallowed nervously and nodded.

"Are you sure I should be leaving on this quest?" He asked uncertainly. Hermes nodded slowly and rested a gently supportive hand on his shoulder.

"You're going to be needed there, Percy. Events will begin to unfold, surrounding the place where the prophecy was given, and the people who are capable of effecting a change. You are certainly one of them." Percy wondered if Hermes already knew his fate, and came here to warn him. The god had seen what would happen to his son, yet hadn't been able interfere under Zeus' laws. He looked down.

"Is it going to be bad?" He whispered softly. Did he really want to know? Hermes glanced down and they stared at each other for a moment. The god squeezed his shoulder in comfort.

"You know I can't speak of it, Percy." Hermes released his grip and stepped away, glancing up at the sky with a wide grin.

"The gods are devising a plan to deal with Kronos as we speak. You know how we are, we like to make things work out in the end." Hermes reassured him. Unfortunately, he did know.

"Which reminds me! Before you have to leave, I have a few things to give you!" He exclaimed in a happy tone. He reached to his packet and pulled out a smart phone, two snakes were coiled around it. Percy caught the sounds of quiet mumbling from the pair.

"Percy! Good to see you again" Martha spoke. George slithered around on top of her.

"Rats! Rats? Do you have any for me? I'm so huuungry." He whined. Hermes sighed and tapped him on the head.

"Come on now, George, the packages for Percy. I'll feed you when we get back, you bottomless pit!"

"That boring meeting's been dragging on forever." Martha yawned. "The messages are starting to pile up." Hermes rolled his eyes. "The messages are always piling up." He muttered.

George opened his mouth and gagged. Two packages were horked up. Percy wrinkled his nose in disgust. Hermes opened the first one and handed him a pouch. When he peeked inside he saw it was filled with drachmas.

"From your father, so you can keep in touch." Hermes explained.

Next he unwrapped the other package and handed Percy a thick gold bracelet. It was quite heavy, the half-blood noted, as he took it from the god. Every inch of it was covered in ruins. But they weren't in English, ancient Greek, or anything else Percy could recognize.

"You're lucky, Percy." Hermes informed him. "This is a powerful protective bracelet, a gift given to you from Hecate herself. It will help to guard you from the more dangerous forms of magic. Not fool-proof, but quite useful. Any god would love to wear such a thing." Percy nodded with reverence and slipped it on his right wrist, opposite his shield watch. A moment later it dissolved into mist and sank into his skin. The young man jumped at the odd sensation. He glanced down and saw a dark ring of blue tattoos where the gold had been, in the same shape as the ruins. It was a little different, but eventually he decided that he like them.

"All she asks in return for her gift, is that you watch over her children." Percy looked up gravely to meet Hermes' intense gaze.

"I will." Was his solemn reply. The messenger god grinned and nodded once.

"Good, I knew you would! Well, looks like you're all set then, so I'll be going." Percy stepped back and waved his farewell. And with that, the god disappeared in a gust of wind. Percy glanced after him in amazement. He'd never get used to it.

He turned to head back up the beach. Determination written across his features.

It was time for him to leave.

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Aw, poor clueless Percy, and Annabeth. But lucky Harry! (grins) Coming up next chapter, they meet! (Gasp!)

Please... (whiny voice) Review.


	5. Convergence

This chapter: horror with a sprinkling of humor.

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Harry strode swiftly through the corridors, scowling fiercely down at his shoes. It was the day after the welcome feast and he had detention already.

Damn Snape, it was so unfair how he had managed to seep into the position of Defense instructor, Harry thought indignantly. Now he was ruining Harry's favorite subject, and out to get him at the same time, it seemed.

"_There's no need to call me sir, Professor."_

Although after what he had said, Harry was grudgingly forced to admit it was rather his own fault. He hoped it'd still be worth it after he spent the evening carrying out whatever torture Snape concocted. Well, at least Dumbledore swooped in at the last second to save him for a week. After last night, he was looking forward to more private lessons.

He had his break now, followed by a free period, after which he would attend Potions with Slughorn, then lunch. Now he was planning to check in on his snowy owl Hedwig, to make sure she'd settled in alright for the year and give her some treats. Harry turned another corner leading up the corridor that housed the stairs to the Owlery at the end of the west tower and stopped abruptly.

The shadows were moving.

He noticed it out of the corner of his eye and turned sharply to look.

Something was staring back at him from the darkness.

Harry gave a little yip and jump of surprise before leaping away. Those eerily glowing eyes followed his movements. The boy steeled himself, took a breath and drew his wand. The adrenaline kick started his heart racing as he slowly backed away from the shadows, all the while trying to get a better look at what was hidden there. Numbly, his mind registered that the eyes didn't really glow. They burned with the very fires of hell itself.

After a few moments his eyes adjusted enough to make out more of the creature, its form obscured in the darkness. Harry gasped. It was a giant hulking figure that appeared vaguely wolf like in shape, with a few odd bulges protruding from its back. A nasty growl reverberated down the corridor and made the stones vibrate between Harry's feet.

He backed up down the hallway a little farther, his mind frantically concocting and discarding various courses of action. He could run but he didn't want to. If he turned his back for even a moment the creature might attack. He could stay and fight, or try and call for help. Desperately, Harry glanced around searching for any other students to call out for.

The hall was empty. There was nothing for it, then.

"_Stupefy!"_ Harry cast a stunner at the creatures shoulder.

It hit in a flash of crimson sparks that ripped an angry snarl from the beast. It was followed a moment later by another startled cry in a different tone and movement from the shadows. One of the lumps on the creature's back detached itself and landed on the ground with an odd sounding clunk. A menacing voice carried from the dark, trembling with outrage.

"Don't hurt my dog!"

There was more shuffling movement and Harry made out a figure coming towards him swiftly. Light glinted off of metal as it charged. He gaped for a moment, hardly believing his eyes.

A man in ancient Greek armor was trying to kill him. Of all the strange and unusual things he had encountered in the magical word, he had never come across anything quite like this.

The warrior was tall and imposing, moving forward with a lithe cat like grace that belied years of training. The wizard shrunk back for a moment unconsciously. The man had a helmet that wrapped around his head, topped with a large black plume of dark horsehair. A bronze armor plate covered his chest over a long sleeved dark blue shirt, more bronze inlaid on the bracers covering his forearms and the buckles of his armored boots, which ended just below the knee and continued on with a pair of well worn dark jeans. But Harry had faced nightmares before, far worse than this. He wasn't about to let himself be intimidated.

He brought up his wand, taking a solidly determined stance and cast another stunning spell, followed by a stinging hex and a trip jinx for good measure. The stranger dodged the first, bending oddly around the red streak of light. He deflected the second harmlessly away, summoning a large round bronze shield seemingly out of nowhere that caused his hex to glance aside. And he jumped the third, continuing right over it like he was out for a stroll through the park. Harry stared in amazement as he backed up a little further; the man was getting too close for comfort, and gripped his wand to ready another salvo.

But he was too late, the man was already there. He felt a warm hand close around the wrist holding his wand in a tight grip, preventing him from movement or magic. Harry jerked away instinctively in response, cringing back to protect himself in anticipation of a physical blow. The stranger didn't budge, his grip tightening like a band of iron across his arm.

"Stop!" The man hissed. "I'm not gonna hurt you." He turned to look over his shoulder. "And neither is she." He whispered.

Harry glared at the stranger before following his gaze. A dog, it really was a dog. He turned back to the man with confusion, still wary, body tensed for action. The man gazed back, calmly meeting Harry's eyes.

"My name's Percy Jackson. That over there's Mrs. O'Leary. She's a hellhound, but she's friendly." Harry registered a foreign accent, it sounded American. Death Eaters didn't have accents; they were all too snobbish for it. The grip on Harry's wrist loosened until he could barely feel it anymore.

"Would you put your stick away? We're not going to hurt you." Percy repeated in a soothing voice. Harry pulled his arm free and moved a few steps back; he watched the man carefully but decided not to lower his wand.

"Why are you here?" He demanded hotly. "And how in _Merlin's name_ did you get in?"

Percy sighed and glanced away, back towards Mrs. O'Leary. He dropped his hands down to his side. The big bronze shield dissolved into mist and wisped away as he did.

"She can travel through the shadows. All shadows are made of the same, connected in a strange way. Hellhounds know how to travel those paths." He looked back at Harry and continued. "I rode her here, but we came a long way. It tired her out."

Sure enough, the massive dog appeared to be drooping. She turned around in the spot she was standing, circling three times before plopping down on the stone with a thump. Seconds later her burning eyes closed and sonorous doggy snores rumbled down the hall. Percy chuckled affectionately.

Very slowly and non-threateningly he reached up to remove his helmet. Harry was still half afraid the man was a death eater in disguise, and convinced himself Lucius Malfoy would be staring back at him from those cold malevolent eyes. Therefore he was surprised at the face revealed, it wasn't anything like had been expecting.

In fact, they were more similar than they were different. Smooth young features met his probing gaze placidly, arranged handsomely on the man's face in a pleasing countenance. He was around Harry's age, maybe a year or so older. Black hair, a shade darker than his own and a fair bit neater, framed his face. Bangs brushing the tops of his eyebrows. His skin possessed a healthy glow, tanned like he'd spent his entire summer running around outside. But the most striking feature was his eyes, a stormy sea green. The longer Harry looked, the more he thought he could hear waves crashing in the distance.

The odd sensation made him relax. He hadn't ever been allowed to travel to the sea very often, but he usually had a good time when he went. Harry spared a moment to fondly remember the little shack the Dursley's had hidden in when he finally received his Hogwarts letter. The sea had been roiling then, gigantic waves pummeling the shore all around them. Percy's eyes encompassed his feelings of that moment.

He put his wand away. Percy beamed at him, a delighted grin in response.

"I was sent here by a guy named Dumbledore, ever heard of him?"

Harry blinked. This bloke was asking if he knew Dumbledore. What wizard didn't? He nodded slowly and replied, still unsure what to make of the fellow.

"Yeah, I know him. He's the headmaster here." He tilted his head and observed the odd newcomer.

As soon as he'd put his wand away, Percy relaxed. Now the young man was looking around in curiosity, taking in all the moving portraits and suits of armor along the walls with avid fascination.

"Whoa, this place is _not_ how I imagined."

Harry couldn't help it, he laughed at Percy's expression. He knew exactly how the other felt. Percy looked over and chuckled sheepishly at Harry's amusement, scratching the back of his neck ruefully. He spread his hands out in a 'what can you do?' gesture.

"I'm sorry about that, my dog is kinda scary. We didn't mean to sneak up on you, I wasn't sure where we'd come out." Harry shrugged.

"Its fine I guess. You had me going there for a bit." He glanced back at the giant black mountain slumbering in the hallway. Her snores rattled like a chain saw.

"Is she going to be alright sleeping there?" Percy frowned.

"I hope so. You're not gonna budge her once she's down." He shook his head. "She just needs her beauty sleep. Tomorrow morning she'll wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed." Percy turned back to Harry and crossed his arms over his chest defensively. "Provided no more uppity wizards come along and try to wake her up. She gets grumpy when she's tired."

Harry snorted and shook his head in amazement.

"I have a friend that's just like you. He kept a dragon as a pet once, insisted it was the sweetest thing. Until it almost burned down his house." He deadpanned. Percy just nodded in sympathetic understanding.

"We have a guard dragon back where I'm from, too. No one ever wants to be assigned the chore of feeding him. We draw straws every time, but somehow I always manage to get stuck with it…" He trailed off, muttering to himself. Harry shot him a look. Maybe this guy was crazy after all. He had a feeling Percy and Dumbledore would get along famously.

"C'mon, I'll take you to the Headmaster's office. I have a feeling he'll want to see you."

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Coming up next: Percy and Dumbledore argue about candy flavors.

R-E-V-I-E-W-! Please?


	6. Advent

It has occurred to me that a spoiler alert should be issued for HP books 6 and 7. Although this is an AU retelling of the two books, many plots and events may be similar, enough to possibly ruin someone's fun. Fair Warning!

This installment: Percy gets surprised.

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Percy sneaked another glance at the guy walking next to him. For a first time encounter with wizard-kind, he was fairly impressed. That kid could pack a punch. Quick witted and sharp in battle, he'd even landed a solid hit on Mrs. O'Leary. (He'd be sure to make it up to her later in extra doggy-treats.)

If all the wizards were as strong as this kid was, Percy would be in for an exciting visit.

Excellent, he thought. Time flies when you're having fun.

He returned his gaze to the walls surrounding him, staring in abject amazement. He'd never seen anything like it. When Chiron spoke of Hogwarts he'd gotten the impression of a gigantic castle, slowly falling into decay over thousands of years.

Nothing could have been farther from the truth. It was indeed a gigantic castle. But the building seemed to be _alive. _He could feel the floor practically thrumming with power beneath his toes. The feeling made him want to tip-toe through the shadows, as if he happened to tread too heavily in a certain spot, the entire place might erupt into a nuclear meltdown.

Take it easy, Percy. He reassured himself. Just don't step on any cracks, and you'll be fine.

He noticed a small smile appear on the wizard's face, steadily growing wider as Percy took in more and more of the castle with increasing trepidation. He didn't mind at first, the guy didn't look like he smiled all that often, but after several moments he couldn't take the smug grin any longer and turned to confront the boy.

"What's so funny?" He demanded. This only seemed to prod the wizard into another quietly amused laugh at his expense.

"You should see the look on your face!" The boy exclaimed, turning to observe him with a pair of glittering jewel green eyes shining clearly through a set of round glass lenses. For a moment Percy was transfixed before he tore himself away and arranged his features into a pout.

"This place…" He glanced around again and sighed. "It reminds me a little of somewhere I was trapped once."

The grin immediately fell off the wizards face, replaced by grim understanding. Percy felt a momentary pang of regret for causing his smile to disappear.

"The halls and stairways would shift unexpectedly, their appearance could morph in disguise, then return to any form. An ingenious labyrinth designed to hold its victims forever." He elaborated quietly.

Harry shuddered in remembrance as an image of endless green hedges stretching forever off into the distance was called to mind at his words.

The two fell into silence as they walked along. The wizard cast him a considering glance.

"It's not all that bad. You'll find this place is filled with unexpected surprises. But most of them are good." As they turned down a flight of long winding marble stairs the wizard let his hand trail along the wall fondly.

"I've learned to love this place." He turned to Percy, a serious look in his eyes. "It's become important to me, like a home away from home." The sea god's son nodded in understanding. Camp Half-Blood felt much the same way to him.

He tiled his head when he realized he'd forgotten something.

"Hey." He called out gently to the wizard. The other turned back to glance at him and Percy grinned. "You never told me your name!"

For whatever reason, the other boy seemed stunned by his question. After another moment he shook his head and shot the demigod a wry look.

"You're certainly not from around here, are you?" Percy shook his head.

"Brilliant!" The wizard exclaimed.

"I can hardly remember the last time I _actually_ needed to introduce myself to someone. It's refreshing." He muttered to himself in self-depreciating tone. Percy spared him a confused look. _Oh-kay…_

The wizard turned and favored him with an incandescent smile. Percy felt his own lips twitch upwards in response, despite his misgivings.

"I'm Harry Potter! It's good to meet you." And he held out his hand.

Percy reached forward a bit reluctantly to grasp his hand and felt a momentary jolt of surprise when nothing out of the ordinary occurred as their fingers met. His grasp was warm and soft, full of reassuring strength.

Percy loosed an internal chuckle. What exactly had he been expecting? An electrical shock? A burning sensation? They were only wizards. Just another mythical being.

Or so he told himself, once he discovered he was loath to let the comforting touch be broken. Consequently, the gesture lingered on a moment longer than was strictly appropriate. Percy jerked his hand away as soon as he realized he'd been lost in thought.

The two young men stood there for a moment, blinking across at each other in awkward silence. Then Harry gave a tiny smile and turned to continue along their path. Percy's eyes darted around the hallway, taking in the moving pictures once more as he rubbed a sweaty palm against his pant leg in a mildly self conscience manner. A second later he shook it off and followed Harry down the corridor.

Just how big was this place? The size appeared to be considerable. If he was going to be guarding this castle _and_ protecting one of the students, he'd have to get to work right away on memorizing the passages and corridors so he wouldn't get lost.

He almost plowed right into Harry's back in his distracted state, before he realized the deceptively sneaky wizard was stopped in front of a large stone gargoyle.

"Acid Pops." Harry leaned down and murmured in the creature's ear.

Percy stared in consternation. Then, to Percy's astonishment, the lion shaped statue growled a bit and leaped aside. As it did, a doorway appeared in the wall behind it.

"Cool." Percy breathed out quietly.

The two boys grinned at each other and started through. Percy was surprised to discover it was actually a spiral staircase, and jumped a bit as the stairs started to move on their own, carrying them quickly upwards. A moment later they got spat out onto a small landing facing an ancient wood door at the other end, elaborately carved with all manner of magical beings. Harry continued on over and lifted the bronze knocker to announce them. But before he could knock, a grandfatherly voice called out to them from within.

"Ah, boys! Your timing is perfect, come on in!" The door swung inwards of its own accord.

Percy gaped at the room that was revealed. The odd office was mind-boggling. How the old man behind the desk managed to pack so many gadgets and doodads into the space provided was beyond him. As he looked around he noticed almost every inch of wall space was taken up by pictures and portraits, most of them snoring quietly. In the corner was a bird stand such as a parrot would use. It was currently occupied by a gorgeous golden falcon, its feather tips ending in bright yellow, orange and red colors, giving them the appearance of being dipped in flames.

The lovely bird trilled out a melodious greeting to the boys. Inwardly, Percy grinned. Someone was happy to meet him.

He forced his eyes to return to the old man at the desk. The dude was wearing some type of robes in a hideously ugly neon orange color, with a pointy hat to match; it sparkled under the sun. In his opinion, the hat just made it that much worse, since it meant the man wasn't blind and had enough fashion sense to match things, therefore he must be fully aware of how clashing the color was _and actually liked it._

Apparently, it was hunting season in England. The only thing missing was a rifle and a dog, Percy mused absently. The old man seemed to be amused, as he was grinning at the both of them with slightly creepy twinkling eyes.

"Mr. Potter, I see you've escorted our newest guest to my office! I appreciate it, dear boy." Harry nodded fondly at the man. Blue eyes turned to inspect Percy.

He felt himself unconsciously stand a little bit straighter. The two warriors regarded each other calmly; each of them quietly taking the measure of the man before them. Percy sensed a gentle power radiating from the wizard, old and strong. He possessed deep roots that would give the man strength to weather the rage of any storm. Although, Percy got the distinct impression he could be just as willing to flex and bend with the breeze, if it was required.

The old wizard seemed to approve of what he found in his own eyes, for a heartwarming smile appeared on his face.

"And you must be the illustrious Mr. Jackson! It's splendid to finally meet you, my boy!" He greeted boisterously.

Instantly, Percy recognized a kindred spirit. He was aware on a subconscious level that the man before him had seen just as many battles; slogged through just as much death and gore, destruction and chaos as he had endured himself. After everything they'd witnessed, they now took a simple pleasure in engaging in any of the peaceful and more mundane aspects of life. It was something to be relished for as long as it deigned to last.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore, and I am headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." The man said. He was grinning merrily, his eyes positively twinkling now.

Percy nodded respectfully in acknowledgment.

"Yes sir, I understand you've asked for my help in guarding a certain student and to help keep the school safely defended from enemy forces." He replied.

Beside him Harry did a double take and turned to stare at him strangely. Percy shot him a questioning glance but turned back when Dumbledore spoke.

"That is correct." The wizard grew serious again. Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and intertwined his fingers over the desk.

"Both of you have a seat. There is much to discuss. But before we begin, can I offer either of you a lemon drop?" He asked politely.

Harry quickly refused, sounding slightly eager and impatient, but Percy found himself intrigued. Gingerly, he reached out to take a piece, and held it before him to inspect. Curiously, he popped it in his mouth and sucked.

He was delighted. Across the desk Dumbledore laughed.

"They're quite excellent, aren't they?" Percy nodded in empathic agreement.

"My mother worked in a candy store for a long time. She used to bring home all the new experimental candy for me to try, so I'd know." He added enthusiastically.

"She even invented a few new flavors herself! But she'd love these, the only thing that could make them better would be having a _blue_ version." Percy expounded. Harry snorted in disbelief.

"If they were blue, they couldn't be lemon flavored. It wouldn't make sense." The boy wizard said, unable to resist adding in his two cents. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.

"Whoever said candy flavors had to make sense?" He asked philosophically. Both Harry and Percy gave him a look. The demigod flailed his arm in disregard of the question.

"It'd have to be Plum flavored then, doesn't matter. It'd still be just as good." Harry rolled his eyes at this and responded in an exasperated fashion.

"_Plum_ flavored? You've got it all backwards. If its blue colored it should be _blueberry_."

"Ah," Dumbledore interjected, tapping the side of his nose. "You're forgetting blackberry, eggplant, fig, juneberry, gooseberry and grape, not to mention variations such as prune and raisin flavors!" He added helpfully, nodding to himself, eyes twinkling brilliantly.

The two boys could only stare at him in silent amazement. Finally they glanced back at each other, both thinking the same thing.

This was going to be an interesting year.

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That's all for now, folks! Soon to be continued. By the way, all those fruits really are purple/blue, I looked them up to be sure. (grins)

Next installment: Draco gets schooled. YAY!

Review please.


	7. Resolve

Despite the slash warning I put in the SUMMARY and in the FIRST CHAPTER, it appears some of you disapprove of "gayness." And yet, you still decided to read this story. So in case you still aren't aware, this story is SLASH! Meaning that yes, Harry and Percy ARE eventually going to get together.

As a small consolation to others, their relationship will develop slowly, so for those of you who don't like it, you can just pretend they're friends for a while. And this story is rated "T" so at no point in this story is anything going to get graphic. ;)

Also, did you know the word 'Dumbledore's' turns up some truly amusing suggestions in FF's spell checker?

This installment: Percy's brain gets melted.

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"As you are no doubt aware, a prophecy has recently been given on Hogwarts grounds." Dumbledore began, staring seriously at the two youths sat before him.

"Yeah," Percy agreed, a grim note edging into his voice. "That's part of the reason Chiron decided to send me over." He slouched back into his chair in a show of rebellious nonchalance.

"It is his _belief_ that I am one of the subjects mentioned in this prophecy."

Dumbledore also leaned back in his chair at this statement, looking deeply concerned and stroking his beard in agitated thought. Harry shot both of them a surprised look.

"Wait, Percy knows about the prophecy?" He leaned over in an urgent manner and asked in a tense voice.

"Then, do you know what it means?"

Besides him Percy shrugged helplessly.

"I can't say anything for sure. You never know how these things work out, until the end." Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I've found that words taken to mean one thing often wind up completely reinterpreted to mean something else, when you can look back at events unfolded and what was actually said."

Percy crossed his arms and scowled at the statement.

"You got that right. But the person it mentions…" He trailed off reluctantly. He continued to scowl down at the floor for a long stretch before finally heaving a sigh and looking back up.

"I am forced to admit that a part of the prophecy, 'salvation rests in the arms of the sea' is probably referring to me."

Suddenly Dumbledore sat up at attention, an intrigued look lighting his features. Harry glanced at him with confusion, but Albus didn't notice, lost in thought.

"So it's _true_ then. I had wondered." The professor murmured gazing intently at Percy. The boy in question raised his eyebrows.

"You are in fact, the _child_ of _a god._"

Beside Percy Harry jerked in surprise and leaned away from him in shock, gaping at the unexpected statement.

Percy's mouth formed a little 'o' at their reaction as he glanced quickly between the two in uncertainty. At last he turned to Dumbledore with a little shrug and a sheepish grin.

"Well yeah, I am. Half man half god; we call ourselves Half-bloods." He grinned at their awed looks and decided to throw up a 'victory' hand sign as he continued mischievously.

"You are looking at the only mortal son of Poseidon, the Earth-Shaker, God of Water, Storms, and the Lord of the Seas."

Dumbledore shook his head in amused self-reproach. Harry looked like he was still struggling to recover, waffling between horror and bemusement.

"Forgive me my impertinence, Percy. But I am simply astounded!" The old man exclaimed with child-like exuberance.

"It is only that I… well, I consider myself a well read individual and I know many of the myths and legends. But I've never had the chance to actually meet one of you before. I wasn't entirely sure Chiron was telling me the truth, and I must confess that I find myself quite curious about your… people."

Percy glanced at him cautiously. Towards the end a noticeable amount of concern and wary disquiet had colored the professor's tone. Harry seemed to notice the mood change and sat very still beside him.

Percy spread his hands in an open gesture and asked, "What did he tell you, sir?"

Dumbledore eyed him again from across the desk and pursed his lips.

"He told me that you were the son of a very powerful god, and that you had inherited a considerable portion of that power yourself. He told me that once you inadvertently lost control of those powers and triggered the eruption of Mount St. Helens. You have inhuman strength when you need it, and a curse that renders your body invulnerable to physical harm."

Percy shifted uncomfortably and looked away from the man's piercing gaze. _Well when you put it like that_, he thought chuckling weakly. He ducked his head and rubbed his fingers absently.

"Sounds like you got it in one!" He managed in a slightly strained congenial manner. It seemed Dumbledore took pity on him then, for his eyes softened instantly and he continued in a gentle voice.

"He also told me that you were a fierce fighter, loyal and protective, the greatest warrior he has ever known. He said he loves you like a son, and that he believed no one would be better suited for this task than you." Dumbledore nodded to him solemnly.

"I find that I agree with his assessment. And besides," His eyes started twinkling. "This is hardly the first time I have let someone… unorthodox into my school. So you have nothing to worry about my boy."

Percy gaped at him in open astonishment.

"He really said that about me?" He asked, feeling his eyes tear up a bit when the old man nodded. Chiron loved him like a son. He was glad; he had always been fond of the old stallion. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"You sure, Professor? Because I can feel that at least half of this castle sits over a lake, and all it'd take is one large summoned wave to flatten this entire building like a pancake. That's the kind of thing you're getting into."

"Oh, I am quite sure my dear boy." The headmaster smiled, not appearing the least bit ruffled.

"But in the interest of our safety, there is one thing I'd like to check. A very few wizards possesses the ability to perform certain levels of mental magic, invading the mind, subjugating the minds of others, planting ideas or suggestions. With your permission, I'd like to test the defenses of your own mind in order to assess your ability to protect your own thoughts."

That was fair enough, he supposed. Percy shrugged.

"Sure, go ahead."

Next to him, Harry gave a quiet grunt of concern. He would have looked over to check if Harry was all right, but at that moment he met eyes with Dumbledore, and something odd happened.

At first it seemed like nothing more than an odd buzzing at the edges of his perception, like when you heard the TV turn to static in another room. But then it became slightly more noticeable, a tickling across the edges of his mind. Percy fought the urge to giggle, as he decided that he definitely _did not like_ the feeling. He creased his brow in concentration, feeling around for it. There it was! Like a mosquito you couldn't see in the dark, brushing against your cheek… and that incessant buzzing… Percy lashed out quickly and squashed the annoying insect.

Across from him the professor let out a startled cry and jumped about a foot from his chair. Harry leaped to his feet at the same moment Percy bent over and clutched at his head. Ow, that really hurt… he groaned. What a headache! Harry rushed to the Professor's side, setting a hand on his shoulder protectively.

"Headmaster! Are you all right?" He asked worriedly. The old man reached out and patted his hand reassuringly, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Yes, yes! I am just fine, Harry! A bit surprised, that's all. I wasn't quite expecting such a reaction out of Percy here."

Percy managed another beleaguered moan in response, continuing to clutch at his head.

"I am sorry about that, Mr. Jackson. I see you are quite capable of protecting your own mind."

Percy rubbed his forehead and eventually mumbled ruefully.

"Yeah, well I've had angry gods shouting at me in my mind for several years now. They can pack a wallop. Your mind feels more like a tickle in comparison, but you've managed to give me a bit of a headache."

Dumbledore's face took on an expression of consternation.

"A tickle?" He stroked his beard ruefully. "I've never heard it described like that before." After a moment the old wizard glanced at Harry beside him.

"Harry my boy, now that you've learned the purpose behind this stranger I must apologize. I contacted Chiron again after our initial conversation. I had a number of concerns regarding the prophecy. Chiron agreed that there was a need, and sent Percy over to help us. You can trust him Harry, and I intend to tell him everything he needs to know in order to protect you and this school."

His bright blue eyes bored into Harry own, and he understood at once what the older man was speaking of; the original prophecy.

"Is that alright with you, Harry?"

Harry sighed sadly and gave a reluctant nod. He had hoped the odd stranger wouldn't get involved. But now it seemed Harry would drag him down along with everybody else on his sinking ship. He hoped the other wouldn't be there when Voldemort finally came for him.

Dumbledore smiled at him.

"Good. Now why don't you get going, classes will be starting soon, and Mr. Jackson and I still have several subjects to discuss."

Harry stepped away from the desk. He knew a dismissal when he heard one.

"Right, I'll be leaving then. Thanks for letting me know what's going on, Professor."

He spared a glance at the boy in the chair, who was still leaned over supporting his head, odd bronze armor and all. He knew exactly how it felt, all those Occlumency lessons with Snape weren't going to be forgotten anytime soon.

"Bye, Percy." He said, and then headed out the door. The other managed a halfhearted wave in return as he left.

The rest of the conversation between Percy and Dumbledore seemed to pass by in a blur. Percy had so much new information crammed inside his skull that he felt like his brain was melting. The two of them discovered that he couldn't do magic, at least, not in the conventional sense. When he'd tried to use a 'wand' as he learned they were called, all he'd managed to do was reduce it to a smoking crisp. Apparently such simple magical constructs weren't strong enough to channel his inherent magical power, or so Dumbledore claimed.

But he could easily do 'wandless magic' as long as the old man kept his spells simple. He wasted no time in teaching Percy several simple defensive spells and charms, things Percy would be most likely to find useful in his duties. Percy particularly liked the shield charm, which was dead useful in all sorts of situations, although he was still quite attached to the shield watch his brother Tyson had crafted for him. Another of his favorites was 'Finite Incantatem', he had a feeling he'd be getting a lot of use out of that particular spell.

The demigod soon discovered that he didn't like using magic. It wasn't the natural outlet for his godly powers, and it put a small amount of strain on his body to accomplish even the smaller spells. Although, it might just be another side effect of his Achilles curse, he resolved to use magic only for the things that were absolutely necessary. By the time Dumbledore was done, Percy was thoroughly exhausted.

The way he understood it, Percy would be operating much like one of the schools Prefects, wandering the halls, going on patrol. Of course, he had been given permission to use greater force if necessary, he was a guard after all, but only if the situation called for it. He had also been granted the ability to give and take house points as he saw fit. He tried not to be amused by this, but really, it was rather hilarious. Was the basis for this school's entire discipline system some lame competition for a trophy awarded at the end of the year, which the students wouldn't get to appreciate anyway, since they would all be leaving? He snorted. That would never go over in American schools. They were all little hell raisers across the pond, every last one of them.

As of now, he was following along quietly behind one Argus Filch, who was singularly the most unpleasant man he had ever met. And considering all the people he had encountered over the years, that was really saying something. The man kept on muttering about different methods of torturing the students. Since Percy would essentially be helping him with his job, the grumpy old dude had taken it upon himself to impart all of his 'work experience' to the boy. Now he was following the man about to get a better feel for the layout of the school. At least his cat wasn't so bad. Anyone who liked cats couldn't be _completely_ evil, at least not in Percy's book.

All his stuff had been magically dropped off in a room he had yet to see. But at least he'd have his own place while he was here, which was another plus. Mrs. O'Leary continued to sleep in the spot he had left her. Dumbledore had kindly erected a small rope fence around her, with signs saying 'Do Not Disturb' strung all along them. All in all, things were looking up and he was settling in nicely.

It was as they were nearing the end of the day, and Percy was heading back with Argus for the great hall, one of the only rooms in the castle that he had yet to see, when he was pleasantly surprised by the sight of a centaur standing in their path. He grinned in excitement, approaching his new acquaintance. The centaur observed him calmly, nodding his head in respectful greeting when Percy got close enough.

"Greetings, Perseus. I am Firenze, a Professor of Divination here at Hogwarts. It is an honor to meet you." Ah, divination. Percy supposed he shouldn't be surprised then, that the teacher already knew his name. His grin grew wider.

"Hey Firenze! It's good to see something familiar amidst all this magical stuff. Are you a friend of Chiron's?" The centaur nodded silently.

"That's great. You know, when I first met him he was a Professor too! He was teaching Latin and ancient Greek history at my school. It seems centaurs make excellent teachers, since I always liked him." Firenze smiled at this.

"My thanks, Perseus. I have found that teaching is quite rewarding, in certain instances." The centaur paused a moment, and pawed at the ground with one hoof.

"It has been many years since any of the centaurs in our remote tribe have encountered one who carries divine blood. But we watched the stars closely and learned of your coming."

And then, to Percy's own dismay, he bowed to him, deeply at the waist. But before Percy had the presence of mind to tell the man he had no reason whatsoever to bow, he straightened and continued on with his speech.

"We still remember the ancient gods, and strive to live by their will. For your recent hardships you have my sympathy, and deepest gratitude of our people."

He regarded Percy solemnly.

"Many stars fell from the sky that night, but the heavens will remain as bright and strong as ever."

Percy realized distantly that he was speaking of the Battle for Olympus, and felt a rush of sorrow. Many of the deaths he had witnessed there still haunted him. The end for Charles and Silena especially he could never forget. That sight of her face after the acid... Eventually he managed a tiny nod and a wobbly smile.

"Thanks. That… that really means a lot to me. I'm glad I met you." Firenze nodded to him gravely.

"I as well, Perseus. I shall look forward to the moment we may speak again." He finished softly, and then turned away to clop down the hall. Percy stared after him in amazement. Guess the centaurs here liked him, then. It would be nice to be on their good side if it came down to a fight.

After a moment he managed to collect his thoughts and continue on towards the great hall for dinner. He had lost his escort Filch somewhere along the way. Thank the gods for small favors.

When he reached the entrance way, all he could do for a few seconds was gape in wonderment. The room was breathtaking. Some sort of magic had enveloped the ceiling in a gorgeous replica of the night sky. The sun was just starting to set, and the sky took on a lovely pinkish golden glow at one end of the hall, melting into purple and then twilight at the other end, with the first stars just starting to peak through the darkness.

Below the ceiling there were rows and rows of candles, hovering above the tables to provide flickering light. That was in and of itself a strangely beautiful sight. But what caught Percy's attention were the tables, huge gigantic oak slabs that spread all the way down the hall. Each of them would seat a hundred easily, he mused. And they were full, with children of all types and ages, ranging from little eleven year old tykes, to bigger kids his own age. They were from all sorts backgrounds and ethnicities, big and small, old and tall.

And every single one of them had turned to stare at him.

Absently he caught the tail end of a speech the Headmaster was giving up at the front of the room. Apparently, his presence had been announced to the entire school. _Wonderful._

He proceeded nonchalantly into the room, heading up to the main table where Dumbledore had gestured for Percy to join him. All around him he heard quiet murmurs and whispers as he passed. He fought down the urge to grin, or perhaps do a little jig in front of the students. They wouldn't be expecting _that_. Instead he walked jauntily up the isles, turning to pass by the Gryffindor table so he might survey his newly appointed body guarding client as he strolled by. He waved to a few familiar faces he recognized from his wanderings through the hallways.

All at once he noticed a group of boys that didn't quite belong. They were standing a short distance from his charge, presumably paused for a moment on their way to their own table. He recognized a green Slytherin patch on each of their robes. The boy in the middle was gesturing at his nose and miming snot or something dripping everywhere.

Percy might have assumed the boy was simply retarded, except his other two bulky henchmen were sniggering cruelly beside him. And from the rather tense look on his client's face, and the steadily increasing shade of red his cheeks were turning, he had a sinking feeling Harry was the butt of whatever joke they were playing.

At last, he had some work to do.

He approached the three casually and tapped the blond one on the shoulder. The other boy whirled around, a look of anger on his face. But as soon as he realized the man before him wasn't another student, he look turned to surprise.

Percy recognized him instantly. Dumbledore had warned him about this one. A probable enemy agent, the boy was positioned perfectly in the relative safety of the school to carry out the evil wizard's covert assignments. He observed his foe carefully. It was a shame even ones like these had to be allowed in to receive an education. He scowled down at the boy, the boy sneered back.

"What do you want?" The other hissed. Percy raised an eyebrow and gestured his head towards the Slytherin table.

"Go on, you've got no cause to be standing around here."

The blond boy stared at him for a moment in befuddlement. Then he drew himself up to his full height, he was almost taller than Percy. The two goons closed in, flanking the boy on either side. Percy was not impressed. The students from Gryffindor table watched the confrontation in avid interest.

Percy slouched his posture, his eyes hooded in boredom. He watched the three carefully, perfectly ready to spring into action should the need arise, but none of the boys had yet to reach for their wands. The blond started up again. His eyes narrowed in a vaguely threatening manner. Percy thought it made him look sort of like a ferret.

"Do you have any idea who I _am?" _He snarled. "My name is Draco Malfoy! My fa-"

"Nope." Percy interrupted. "I don't know who you are, but I know what I saw." He continued calmly.

"Ten points from Slytherin for maliciously harassing another student."

Then he smiled politely and moved to continue on his way. He noticed most of the other students from Gryffindor were grinning at the announcement and whispering furiously back and forth to each other. This only seemed to further incense Malfoy, who whipped out his arm to grab Percy by the shoulder and stop him from leaving.

"Where do you think you're going, filth? I'm not some house elf that you can order around!"

Percy turned back to him coldly. After staring at the hand on his shoulder for a short length of time, Draco let him go. He turned to regard the other boy. Let it not be said he had ample experience with schoolyard bullies.

"Draco, is it?" He replied softly. "Your name is ancient Greek, did you know that? It's short for Drakon, a fearsome creature, precursor of the dragons. I've met one once, in battle. Do you know what happened?" He paused a moment to grin evilly at Draco.

"One of my friends, a young girl, slew the beast in one fell stroke. Rode right up and speared it through the mouth. Afterward, she lashed the body to her chariot and dragged it back and forth through the streets to taunt our enemies."

Draco's two goons had paled at his story. The boy himself had turned more of a red color. They stared at him in silence, as if they weren't quite sure what to make of his story, unable to determine if he was actually telling the truth.

Percy tilted his head and chuckled. Then he strode past them and continued on up to the head table.

Behind him, he noticed a tall boy with flaming red hair laugh exuberantly at their plight. He slapped Harry on the back, who was sitting beside him and exclaimed loudly.

"Gryffindor has a new best mate! That was brilliant, I have a feeling he'll fit right in at Hogwarts!"

Percy certainly hoped so.

_Best mate?_ Was that their word for friend? The English were so weird.

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Next installment: Percy interprets the true meaning of Hermione's name. YAY!

I couldn't remember if Clarisse actually killed the Drakon in one hit, but pretend she did, it has more dramatic impact.

It you liked this chapter, please review. Thanks for reading.


	8. Perceive

Hey dudes and dudettes! Sorry it took so long to update. Figured I should do something before school starts up again. Laziness is a truly terrible affliction, yet somehow oddly satisfying...

This chapter: Percy gets high off fumes.

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Percy made his way up to the head table where he was greeted warmly by all the professors attending dinner. Dumbledore joyfully introduced the teachers he had not yet met, gesturing with his hands as each one nodded to him in turn. Percy was relieved to see their fashion tastes weren't as eccentric as the old man's. They were certainly an odd bunch, from a huge burly hulk on one end, to a tiny midget man sitting next to the headmaster. _Little Person_, he reminded himself humorously. He'd even heard rumors one of them was a ghost, but hadn't spotted him at the table.

Percy spread his arms and bowed jokingly to the professors.

"Pleased to meet you, I hope no one decides to turn me into a toad while I'm here!" One of the professors, Minerva - he remembered because of the recent grudge he carried for her namesake, raised a disdainful eyebrow at him.

"I should think you'd already know, Mr. Jackson! Only Princes have to worry about that sort of thing." Percy blinked and gave her a second look. Was she joking? Her expression appeared perfectly neutral. He swallowed hard and looked away. How scary was that? He'd have to keep an eye out for her. As he moved away, Percy missed the twinkle in her eyes of barely hidden laughter.

When at last he managed to sit down, there was only one spot left and it was between Firenze and a sneering professor whose name he couldn't quite remember. He bowed his head as he spotted the centaur.

"May I share this meal with you, Firenze?" He asked politely. The centaur nodded agreeably and gestured toward the empty seat. The man himself stood on all four hooves, making him appear taller than the other wizards. At Percy's curious glance he spoke.

"While wizard folk have accomplished a great many magical feats, they have not yet mastered the complexities of equine seating, I'm afraid." Percy raised his eyebrows.

"So you just stand around while you eat?" Firenze nodded.

"I do not mind, these days I relish the chance to stretch my legs." Percy frowned.

"Don't you ever join your family in the forest? They must miss your presence." Beside Percy the pale professor snorted in contempt.

"The centaurs in the forest never approach the castle unless it's to scream and shout or threaten us." He sneered, interrupting their conversation. Firenze's face turned rather cold and remote at his jibe, causing Percy to glare at the other man for his rudeness.

"My kin are proud, Perseus. They have long memories and do not easily forgive." He shook his head and sighed.

"You did something to make them angry?" Firenze met his eyes for a moment, nodded once and looked away.

But anything he might have said was interrupted by Dumbledore clapping his hands, causing a delicious feast to suddenly appear on the table. Percy was only surprised for a moment, magic barely made him blink after spending the entire day at Hogwarts. He observed the other professors for a moment; they were quite a lively lot, and then moved to fill his own plate. But before he could eat anything, Firenze touched his shoulder and gestured to the side of the room. Percy glanced over to see what he wanted and felt his eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"You have a brazier." He turned back to the centaur with a congenial grin. "Thanks, Firenze. It makes the place feel a bit more like home." Firenze nodded back and even managed a slight smile at Percy's gratitude.

"Normally I am the only one who would consider such a thing, and so we did not have a flame. But now that you are here I thought you would enjoy the gesture, and Albus graciously indulged my request." Percy nodded to him fondly. The professor sitting beside them interrupted with a question.

"A flame, what is its purpose?" Percy detected genuine curiosity in his tone as he glanced around.

"Ah," Percy pursed his lips in thought. "Well, it's used for a sacrifice to the gods, or more specifically, your patron god, if you have one. It's also a way to say thank you, if you're the sort of person who likes to be polite. And when dealing with gods you should _always_ be polite." Percy added, nodding sagely. The professor raised an eyebrow and eyed him oddly, looking even more interested than before.

"A sacrifice… of what kind? Do you use blood?" The man guessed. Percy immediately shook his head and made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

"Nah. That's how it was done mostly in the olden days. It can still happen, and make no mistake, it's a powerful sacrifice. But they don't really appreciate that sort of thing as much anymore. I just give up some food; they love the way it smells." At the professor's look he shrugged and gestured for the man to join him.

"Come on, I'll show you." The three of them moved over to the bronze brazier. It was smaller than the one at camp, but still held a large flame over the coals.

"For Poseidon." Percy stated clearly and dumped a portion of his mashed potatoes into the flames for his father. Firenze also sacrificed his food to the sea god. At the pale professor's questioning glance he explained.

"The first centaur was created from Poseidon's power and Medusa's blood. We hold him as our patron." The professor nodded and looked thoughtfully into the flames himself.

"You might try thanking the goddess Hecate. She is the patron of magic, and was probably the one most responsible for sending me here." The man shot him a glare but did as Percy suggested and scraped a bit of his food into the flames for Hecate. The half-blood grinned at him and leaned down to catch a wiff of the divine scent.

"Oh yeah, it worked alright. That smells _good_…" He murmured dreamily. "Like ambrosia."

"It doesn't smell any different to me." The dark professor grumbled, scowling as if he were missing something important.

"Our friend Perseus can appreciate the sacrifice because of his divine blood." Firenze stated simply, Percy nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, to mortals there isn't any difference, but Hecate will catch the scent even in Olympus and I'm sure she appreciates the gesture." He whispered, mellowed by the fumes wafting gently through the hall.

As they headed back to the table, he noticed that the rest of the professors and most of the school had been observing their actions in curiosity. Percy smirked as he sat down. Now that he was a school celebrity, he supposed the "paparazzi" would be stalking him. He'd have to start practicing his model poses and pouty faces. At the center of the table Dumbledore chuckled and called out merrily.

"Ah Severus! Isn't it still too early in the term to start teaching magical sacrifices in front of the first years?" While Severus took the opportunity to glare at the old man Firenze replied calmly.

"It was he who received the lesson, Albus. The more one learns, the more one realizes all that he does not know." The rest of their table got a laugh out of that as they all tucked in to eat.

"So, er… Severus. What area do you teach?" The man shot him a sneer before he deigned to reply.

"Call me Snape." The man snarled. "I am instructing the students in Defense Against the Dark Arts." He continued softly, yet proudly. Percy perked up at that. Snape, he recognized that name. He was their spy. That level of cunning earned the man a certain level of grudging respect, as far as he was concerned. It was their first and greatest line of defense.

"That's great! So Defense, we're pretty much both doing the same thing here at Hogwarts! Only you're teaching and I'm applying!" Percy smiled enthusiastically at him while deftly ignoring the 'what is wrong with you?' look the Professor was shooting his way.

After a few minutes he began to notice a stirring amongst the students below. Several of them were talking in agitation and gesturing at something on the ceiling. A little first year at the Hufflepuff table started pointing upwards excitedly. Percy squinted up at what they were looking at. It was an unusual formation in the enchanted sky on the ceiling. There was a cluster of unusually bright stars surrounded by a fuzzy smudge of clouds. The stars were twinkling rather oddly. Percy stared in mildly concerned befuddlement a few moments before realization struck him. He snorted in amusement and shook his head. _Gods_, Percy thought, you could always count on them to stick their noses in it.

"It's Olympus." He quickly explained to the rest of the Professors, loud enough so that the students could hear him.

"I'm sure they want to keep tabs on what's going on down here. And it would be especially easy for Hecate to work a little bit of magic so they could all see into the castle." He gestured upwards with his chin. "That's what Mount Olympus, home of the gods, looks like from beneath… at a great distance." After another moment he chuckled and added sarcastically "Smile, you're on candid camera!"

Most of the students and professors appeared surprised and amazed at the news, or offended. A few gained a look of awe, gazing up at Olympus reverently. Albus just seemed amused, like he had expected such an occurrence the entire time. Percy rolled his eyes at him and shrugged to the others. 'What can you do?' he thought.

The rest of Percy's first Hogwarts supper was uneventful. Soon the students began to trickle out to their common rooms, or wherever else they needed to be. The demigod observed Harry leaving the hall with several of his friends out of the corner of his eye. Then he decided to look for his own rooms. He was curious to see what they were like. The professors bid him a friendly goodnight as he took his leave.

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"I don't believe it. Greek gods, have you ever heard anything so ridiculous?" Hermione pronounced, stalking through the library shelves. "What was Dumbledore _thinking?_" Harry sighed and rubbed his nose underneath his glasses. She had been going on like this ever since the Headmaster made his announcement over dinner. Now a headache was beginning to form, which he dearly wished he could just will away.

"I dunno…" Ron hedged, rubbing his chin in a self described 'thinking pose.' Harry fought down the urge to laugh; his friend looked like a Stork about to take flight. "I like him fine, and Dumbledore is a smart bloke. He wouldn't bring in extra help unless he thought it'd make a difference. He's just lookin' out for the school, that's all."

"Yeah, the same way Fudge was looking out for the school when he thought we should bring in Dementors to guard the castle." Hermione added heatedly. "Who's to say that guard isn't secretly working for _he-who-must-not-be-named?"_

"I was there when he met with Dumbledore, remember?" Harry interjected, before things got more heated. "The headmaster used legilimancy to check his mind. If he was secretly a Death-Eater, the professor would know." He paused for a moment and regarded the brightest witch of his age calmly.

"Besides, the Greek gods are mentioned specifically in the prophecy." He raised an eyebrow. "Unless you're saying the prophecy is false?" Hermione huffed and glanced away. "Of course not, I just… It's rather difficult to believe." Ron snorted.

"The centaurs still worship the gods. You'd know that if you stuck with Divination. Firenze is always going on about this constellation or that planet… Mars, Jupiter, the twelve celestial houses." She rolled her eyes.

"Which is precisely why I dropped it." She sat down at their table and cracked open a giant book entitled The Gods and You: A spiritual guide by Jacques Gaffarel.

"When you were ten, if someone told you magic was real, you wouldn't have believed them." Harry said, eying the dusty tome. "Yet here you are, learning charms and spells in a giant invisible castle." Hermione looked up at him.

"Now we've learned that the Greek gods from all those myths and bedtime stories are actually out there, watching over us." Hermione scrunched up her nose, like what she was hearing tasted awful.

"So you're saying just because we didn't know about it, doesn't mean it's not true?" Harry nodded.

"But we _did_ know about it. You heard of magic before Hogwarts, and of the gods before Jackson ever arrived. We just never believed until we saw proof."

"You know what they say." Ron grinned at her cheekily. "Every legend is based on a small grain of truth. That's what makes them powerful." Hermione sniffed.

"Shut up, Ron. So where's your evidence then, Harry? Because shiny armor and a nice smile isn't what I'd call proof of divinity." She blushed when Ron started to laugh. He cut Harry a sly glance.

"No not you, but Harry might!" Harry fought down his own blush and scowled at Ron.

"I guess you haven't seen my dog yet." A darkly amused voice drifted out from the shadows between book shelves. "One look into her eyes will make you believe."

They all jumped, but only Harry drew his wand in time to point it at Percy as he materialized out of the darkness. Percy gave him a grin and batted the wand away with his hand. "Nice reflexes."

Ron groaned and clutched a hand above his heart. "Don't scare me like that, mate! For a second I thought you were Snape."

Percy laughed, flopping down nonchalantly in the only unoccupied chair left at their table. He slouched forward lazily, propping up his chin on his hand as he gazed curiously at Hermione. She frowned at him.

"How can a smart witch like you be so skeptical of the gods when you yourself were named in their honor?"

"My mother named me after _A Winter's Tale. _Grandpa loved Shakespeare, and that play was his favorite." She declared resolutely. Percy nodded in acknowledgment.

"And Shakespeare loved the gods. He was a half-blood, you know, a son of Apollo." He grinned at their disbelieving looks.

"Hermione is just the feminine form of Hermes. It means 'earthly.' But don't worry; he probably thinks it's funny." The witch narrowed her eyes at him.

"I wasn't."

Ron chuckled at them both.

"Hey Jackson, it's good to finally meet you. Harry's been telling us a bit about you." He held out his hand towards Percy. The half-blood shook his hand with a firm grip and nodded to both of Harry's friends.

"Sure, we'll get to know each other pretty well by the time the school year ends. You can both call me Percy." He turned to meet Harry's emerald gaze. "I'm actually here to discuss a few things with Harry. I'll borrow him for a few moments, if the two of you don't mind?"

Ron and Hermione glanced at each other, and then back at Percy with a shrug.

"Great!" He smiled brightly before grabbing Harry by the arm and hauling him off into the shadows.

"Well? What did you need to drag me over here for?" Harry asked, gingerly extracting his arm from Percy's grip. The other boy gave him a sheepish grin and let go before leaning in close. Harry held himself still and repressed a shiver as Percy's warm breath ghosted over his ear.

"How much do you trust those two?" He whispered. Harry jerked back and stared hard into sea foam green eyes.

"I trust them both with my life!" He said, not bothering to whisper. Percy raised his eyebrows.

"Really? Like, everything you know, they know?" Harry nodded somberly.

"Yeah, everything." Why did that make him feel guilty? They only wanted to help him, and he sure needed it. Percy sighed at the admission, relaxing his stance a little.

"Good. A man needs friends like that. Bring them over and follow me, I need to show you something." Percy murmured to him. Harry tilted his head, giving Percy a considering glance. After a moment he nodded once and went to fetch his friends.

The golden trio followed him out the library, down the corridor and through the halls, heading towards Gryffindor tower. After they passed by McGonagall's office but before they turned the corner to reach the fat lady's portrait Percy stopped. The half-blood glanced up and pointed out the candelabra set recessed into the wall.

Harry stared at the fixture, mildly surprised. Although he had spent six years of his life here in the castle and walked through this hallway every day, he had never really noticed or paid attention to this particular set of candles. Where normally the candelabra would be made of brass or iron, he saw that this one was fashioned rather oddly out of coral, holding four candles fixed into its natural shape.

Percy paced beneath the fixture passing back and forth three times. Where once there was a blank wall, they saw the stone melt away to reveal a painting. Hermione gaped at it.

"It's an Ivan Aivazovsky! Looks like a variation of the Ninth Wave. Do you know how much this is worth?" She hissed. The boys glanced at each other in confusion. Percy shrugged at her.

"I don't know, a lot?" Hermione gave them all a disbelieving look.

"His last painting sold for 2,710,000 pounds." Harry and Ron looked a little gob smacked. Percy just shrugged again. "So, a lot." He nodded. "I'm still working out your weird money thing." He walked up and tapped on one of the tiny sailors floating on some wreckage amidst the giant wave. The little guy waved and shouted out.

"No worries mate! We'll be rescued soon! Password?"

"8675309" Percy responded. The sailor nodded once and the painting swung inwards.

Percy glanced back to regard them all seriously. "These are my rooms while I'm here. If the password changes I'll let you know. This place is well hidden and meant to be a safe haven, so tell no one where it is. It you ever feel threatened, unsafe or just want to get away, feel free to stop by. I'll never turn you away and even if I'm not there you can hang around for as long as you need."

He paused for a moment and looked meaningfully at Harry. "This room is secret; it doesn't appear on any of the Hogwarts maps or magical locaters. So if something were to ever happen, this is an excellent spot to hide." With that he stepped in and gestured for the trio to follow.

Harry noticed a fresh sea-breeze wafting from the door. The scent made him relax. Absently, he realized that it smelled like Percy, and like home.

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That stuff about the painting is true, I swear.

Next chapter: Percy layeth down the law upon Harry.


	9. Elucidation

Here it is, yay! The much anticipated, critically acclaimed, chapter nine!

This chapter: Ron learns how to grease some wheels.

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The Golden Trio lingered outside in the hallway for a moment before crossing over the threshold into the darkness beyond. As they entered Percy's room, the difference was startling. In order to make Firenze more comfortable, Dumbledore had transfigured an entire class room into a small section of the forbidden forest. It appeared as though he had spent just as much effort to make the son of Poseidon feel welcomed.

"Blimey." Ron whispered. Harry managed an inarticulate grunt in agreement. All Hermione could do was gape.

A quarter the room in the far right had been transfigured into a beach. The stone floor magically morphed into fine white sand that met the salty sea water a dozen feet beyond, complete with two palm trees and a hammock. The water extended out for what seemed like forever, until it met the horizon off in the distance. That whole corner of the room and half of the ceiling were enchanted to look like the actual sky. A crescent moon hung brilliant in the deep purple, surrounded by faint stars, reflected upon the ocean. Waves washed up gently on the shore.

The half-blood laughed exuberantly.

"It's nice, isn't it? Be careful if you go for a swim, though. The water only goes out for about 20 yards before the illusion ends, and it comes up to just past my nose."

Percy turned to take in their expressions with fond amusement. After a while though, he yanked off his boots rolled up his jeans and waded into the water. He sat till for a moment, soaking in the coolness of the ocean with an appreciative sigh. Letting his head fall back he gazed at the stars for an instant before letting his eyes fall closed. Slowly, the strength he always felt in his father's realm seeped into his bones.

Behind him Percy heard a faint shuffling as someone else removed their shoes, then the telltale splash as they entered the water and waded out next to him. He opened his eyes to look over at Harry, who seemed to be enjoying the ocean even more than he was. Though he had rolled up his uniform slacks, the long wizard robes hung down behind him trailing into the water. They swirled through the currents around the boy mysteriously as the waves gently lapped at their knees. Emerald eyes glanced at him through the twilight, mirroring his own secret joy at the sensation.

The other two members of the trio had also removed their shoes and were standing nearby in the sand, still glancing around his room in curiosity. In the corner opposite the beach was a bed, covered in a soft gray blanket and sheets, with no canopy since he needed no privacy in his single room. It was positioned so that as he lay in his bed he could look out over the ocean. In the other two corners were a large oak wardrobe, in front of which lay his bags and trunks, yet to be unpacked; and a fireplace surrounded by a coffee table and two comfy looking chairs. A door between his bad and wardrobe led to a small bathroom.

"As I said, this place is open to the three of you whenever you'd like to stop by. But I asked you here for a different reason. " Percy turned around to face the three of them and gestured towards the fireplace. "Would you mind?"

"Oh, of course not." Hermione murmured when she realized what he wanted. Ron was still gazing around in a daze. The young witch brought out her wand and gestured towards the corner. "Incendio." A moment later flames leapt up, lighting the gloomy room. Harry frowned.

"Why didn't you just do it yourself?"

Percy shrugged and tipped his head at Hermione.

"I could have. But I don't like using your _Magic. _I don't like the way it feels, something about it rubs me the wrong way. So I'll only resort to spells when there's no other choice."

The three friends blinked in surprise.

"You won't use magic?" Ron sputtered. "How are you going to guard the school?"

Percy grinned.

"I'll manage, Ron. Don't you worry. And as you already know, besides guarding the school, Dumbledore also asked me to bodyguard you, Harry." Harry's face flushed red at that and he dropped his gaze to the water with a grimace.

"The Headmaster," He groaned in frustration. "Don't remind me. I am perfectly capable of walking from my dorm to my classes and back again without being attacked! I don't need anybody else following me around and telling me what to do in case I stub my toe!"

"I know." Percy stated gently, understanding Harry's protest. "But I don't care." He continued in a harder voice. Harry's gaze snapped up to his in shock. For a tense moment they stared each other down.

"It's the reason I'm here, after all. So weather or not you like it, I'm going to be looking out for you." Percy continued sternly. He broke the other wizard's gaze, uncomfortable with the distress and slight betrayal he saw growing there.

"In order to do my job, I'm going to lay down some ground rules, which are all designed to help keep you safe." Ron and Hermione immediately jumped in with protests before he could continue. He glanced over at Harry who was also scowling at him in annoyance. He sighed in exasperation before tipping his head back to the sky and closing his eyes.

"The school has protective wards! I read in _Hogwarts A History_ that-"

"Yeah, mate! So strong that nobody can break in, so Harry should be fine while he's here!"

"Guys, that's not the point! I shouldn't have to put up with being locked away in some tower like a… like a _princess_ while Percy, Dumbledore and the Order take care of everything for me!" Ron and Percy snorted in amusement.

"That's not how it will be, Harry." Hermione murmured quietly. "No matter how hard Dumbledore tries, it has to be you in the end. The prophecy says-"

"I know what the prophecy says!" Harry snarled, rounding on his friend with a grimace. Ron and Hermione fell silent at his outburst, while Percy looked on in sympathy.

"But isn't that… even more of a reason for me to fight? How am I supposed to stop Voldemort when everybody is keeping me away from all the dangerous stuff?" Percy sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Did I say I was going to lock you up?" Percy demanded, glaring over at Harry. The younger wizard started at him startled, before grinning somewhat sheepishly.

"Well, er… no…"

"That's right." Percy continued indignantly. "I'm not here to watch you, or babysit you, or… whatever! I'm here to help you fight! And hopefully, keep you alive in the process." He met Harry's eyes meaningfully, hoping to convey his feelings through a glance.

"You can go wherever you want, and do everything you normally do, I'm not gonna stop you." He said, frankly. "All I ask, is that you _take me with you_. You might be surprised at how helpful I turn out to be." At his last statement, Percy's voice dropped into a dangerously low growl, and he treated them all to a positively feral grin.

"Which brings me back to my first ground rule: Try not to go out alone."

The golden trio turned to glance at each other before looking back at Percy. Ron shrugged and Harry looked at him reluctantly before nodding slowly.

"Er… Alright, I guess. That one doesn't sound too bad." Percy nodded in appreciation.

"Look, I don't expect you to _always_ stick together, but give it some thought. And when you _are_ alone, be aware of that fact and stay extra careful, okay?" Harry nodded and gave him a grin.

"Okay." The two young men regarded each other with mutual concordance as Percy continued.

"Rule number two: Each one of us is going to have a security phrase with two possible answers, one to use when everything is fine, and one to use in case you are in danger." He stopped for a moment to let them digest his words. Hermione looked surprised.

"Oh, that's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that before?" She mumbled, looking away in thought. Ron raised an eyebrow as Percy continued sternly, while Harry listened silently but still somewhat grudgingly.

"I will challenge you with the security phrase every day, and if it seems like there's something wrong. I expect you to challenge me in return. You will answer promptly and correctly or I will assume you have been compromised by the enemy and drag you immediately up to see Dumbledore. Understood?" The three of them nodded quickly in agreement. Percy stood a little straighter and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Rule number three: Always carry at least one golden drachma on your person." Harry and the others frowned in confusion.

"What do we need those for?" Ron asked skeptically. Percy reached out and grabbed a pouch that had been hanging on his belt. He tossed it over to Harry, who snatched it from the air with a seeker's reflexes.

"Drachmas come in handy for just about anything when dealing with the gods. This will get you a ride on Charon's ferry, let you send a package in the Hermes Express, help you grease the wheels in sticky situations, and most importantly… send an Iris message in an emergency."

"Grease the wheels?" Ron asked cluelessly. Hermione rolled her eyes and gave Percy a disapproving frown. He grinned cheekily in response.

"He means to use the money as a bribe, Ron." The redhead's lips formed a little "o" in comprehension. The Weasley's being a rather poor family, the idea of using money as a tool had never even occurred to him.

"Do all of you know how to send an IM?" The half-blood asked, getting a nod from Ron and Harry.

"We saw Firenze send an IM to Chiron." Harry elaborated. "We'll show Hermione how to do it later."

"Good." Percy nodded. "You can, of course, IM me at anytime in an emergency. When my dog wakes up, she'll be able to shadow travel us instantly to your side, wherever you are. As long as there is shadow, I can get to you, Harry. Even through the strongest wards and charms. That's how I got into Hogwarts in the first place." He paused a moment to contemplate how to phrase his next statement.

"I'll always answer an Iris message from the three of you. If, for whatever reason you can't reach me, you can assume that I am either captured, unconscious or dead… In that case, I'd recommend calling either Dumbledore or Firenze. Those two are trustworthy. But if even they are unavailable, try calling Chiron in New York. He'll come to your aid, though it might take him longer to get here."

Percy took another breath, and looked over at Harry nervously.

"Harry, if it's you, after all is said and done, and you find yourself alone…" He glanced down in frustration. "If you find yourself alone, Harry, and its life or death. Call for my Father." He glanced back into Harry's stunned gaze. "Often the gods wish to intervene, but there are laws. In order to receive their help, you must ask for it, Harry. Call my Father, and if he hears you he may lend his aid."

The silence stretched out after Percy's statement, until the half-blood released a tired sigh and straightened up.

"Rule number four: while I'm here this year, we're going to be doing some weapons training, along with basic hand to hand. You wizards are deadly at a distance. But as soon as I get close, you're practically defenseless. I'm gonna make sure I fix that by the time this year's over." He squinted at the golden trio. "Got it?" All three nodded at him reluctantly.

"All right, those are my rules! That's all I wanted to say." Percy grinned playfully and bounced out of the water, not looking the least bit wet. A few steps beyond the sand he stopped and suddenly turned around.

"Oh yeah, there's one more thing I almost forgot!" He turned to Harry and raised his arm out in his direction. Then he called out in a clear voice, ringing with authority.

"Harry Potter, descendant of Hecate; I confer upon you the Protection of the Sea, now and forever!"

And with that, a tendril of water rose up from the ocean, seemingly on its own. It rose like a snake, gently encircling Harry, never quite close enough to touch, until it reached his face. Harry stared at the wavering tendril of water in amazement, holding himself perfectly still. Slowly, it reached closer to his face, causing the savior to inch his head back and squish his eyes closed. But all he felt was a soft brush against his forehead, right over his curse scar and it was over. Harry opened his eyes to see the snake-like water tendril retreating back into the waves, disappearing as the last of it sunk into the water.

A moment later Ron turned to Hermione with a grin.

"There you go, 'Mione. Proof of divinity."

Hermione scowled.

.

* * *

After a stroke of inspiration, this chapter got pumped out in less than a day! Spring Break is so nice...

Next time: Epic showdown - O'Leary VS. Peeves, send a delinquent soul to the underworld! (Tickets available for purchase from the Weasley Twins.)


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